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May 31, 2013

Mini Reviews: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead & The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau


Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)
Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)
Richelle Mead
June 4, 2013 from Dutton Adult
2/5 stars
















*shakes head* Gameboard of the Gods.. how disappointing and long and excruciating you turned out to be. I was SO happy when I got a review copy from Penguin Canada and I couldn't wait to dive in. Yes it is a hefty book, but who cares? the synopsis sounded fantastic and it is Richelle Mead for God's sake! The reason why I opted for a mini review instead of a full one is because I have so much to complain about and it isn't really effective for me to whine so I'll just summarize all the problems I had with this book that made it in the end a not so happy reading experience. This is an NA book, however with the graphic and descriptive scenes I felt it is more adult, and I didn't appreciate the careless nature the main characters had in regards to their love life, or more like lust life. Justin was such a womanizing Jerk while Mae was just void of any emotional depth. All Justin thought about was women and drugs while Mae basically felt like a robot to me. Then there was the actual plot which was basically a mind melting one, not the good kind. I just felt that we were left in the dark for too
long and I didn't appreciate not knowing what the hell was going on. At times I had to go and read reviews just to understand some aspect of the world building because it was so confusing. Also, the plot promises a murder mystery investigation but so much happened in this book, the deities and religions, the dystopian world, the murder, the supposed romance, and the promise Justin has to fulfill. It was a bit too much to take for a single book and while the plot had a lot going for it, most of the time I was pretty bored. I personally wouldn't recommend it to anyone because this book put me in a reading slump and I managed to read it in around 8 days. If you know me, that is pretty bad since I usually finish a 500 page book in two days maximum. All in all, this book won't shape my opinion of Richelle Mead and I do intend on reading her VA and Bloodline series, but just not this one.

Note: apparently the back of the book said "new adult series" meaning it is a new ADULT series, like brand new. That completely threw me off! 

The Testing (The Testing, #1)





The Testing (The Testing, #1)
Joelle Charbonneau
June 4, 2013 from HMH
2/5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Indigo | B&N 



The Testing, unfortunately, turned out to be a much safer, tamer, and less interesting novel to the ones it was compared to, The Hunger Games and Divergent. I expected to be horrified, to see things without any sugar coating, and to have an emotional connection with the main protagonist as well as scenes that cause my heart to go on overdrive. However, I got the baby of those two novels, because The Testing had a lot of similarities to both novels, but it fell flat in comparison. We have the tests, which in theory remind me of Divergent, however the first test was them completing written tests then a few unexplained deaths here and there, but what annoyed me is that no one questioned them, and I think that was my biggest problem with the characters in this book. Then there are tests 2 and 3 which are pretty much forgettable, and lastly test 4, which is very similar to the game in THG. However, again, we get pretty uneventful scenes. I just wanted more, however all I got was a few tiny bursts of a would be horrific scene but then the author quickly masks it and I'm like: but.. I want to know more, I want more action, I want more depth from these characters, but unfortunately the author only scratched the surface with the plot and the characters. So, The Testing was a disappointment in the end and I honestly am not invested enough with the plot and characters to pick up the sequel. 


May 30, 2013

Blog Tour: The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen


The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking Juvenile 
Publication year: June 4, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Source: Publisher (Penguin Canada)
Format: ARC 
Pages: 480

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?


I've read my fair share of Sarah Dessen books. They are the perfect contemporary fluff that you would look for in a summer read. I have to say, I adore her books, and always look forward to new releases by her to get my cute romance fix, however The Moon and More is so much more than that. This is her only book that you could actually distinguish between her previous novels. Her previous novels, if you've read most of them, tend to blend together (not sure if that is a good or bad thing), but for The Moon and More? I'll always know it is that Sarah Dessen book of a girl that in the end didn't need any guy to define her. 
I love that all (at least most) of Sarah Dessen's books are set in the same beach town, Colby. I love love beach settings and that is the reason why I always read any new Sarah Dessen book. This book is no different, it is also set in Colby (yeay) and our main protagonist, Emaline, works at her family's business, running a couple of resort houses along the beach. Emaline has the perfect boyfriend. We all know what that means right? trouble in paradise of course! and that is what happened. Also, enter Theo, and stuff gets complicated, fast. I have to say, through all the drama, Emaline never acted in a way that frustrated me, and trust me, that always seems to happen whenever a romance goes wrong. Emaline was very mature (the book is set the summer before she goes off to university), and I loved how even with her romantic life getting all messed up, she never lost sight of herself. However this book was mostly about her finding herself, her "true calling" if we are being a bit cheesy. My only tiny complaint is that the novel was a bit too long for such a plot. 
I liked that even with her trying to find herself, she still never lost sight of her family, and her relationship with them never faltered. I loved her family. Emaline has two step sisters (her mother married her step-father who already had two daughters). She doesn't think of them as a step family because her mother married when she was three. One part I always laugh at is when Emaline comes home and finds her mom and her older sister in her room, on her bed, talking and eating, as if it is a lounging area (their father was renovating the house). Her family was definitely the comic relief in this novel. I lastly have to mention her relationship with her stepbrother (from her biological father). He is around 8 i think? and he is ADORABLE! I also LOVED his growing relationship with Emaline! All in all, I think The Moon and More would appeal to the older fans of Sarah Dessen, however I do recommend it to all fans.  


Sarah Dessen


Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of several novels, including Someone Like You, Just Listen and Along for the Ride. A motion picture based on her first two books, entitled How to Deal, was released in 2003. Her eleventh novel,The Moon and More, will be published in June 2013. She lives in North Carolina.
Follow Dessen through her: Website || Goodreads || Twitter


This Blog Tour is hosted by Penguin Canada


May 29, 2013

Review: Transparent by Natalie Whipple


Title: Transparent 
Author: Natalie Whipple
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Publication date: May 21, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (Fantasy/Paranormal)
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC
Pages: 368
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.
Fiona McClean, the main protagonist, is invisible. Fiona McClean's power is used as a weapon by her own father, who is part of this major organization who steal and do crimes. Transparent definitely didn't start off how I wanted expected it to start. It was actually shocking but fun to see how Fiona is actually part of a "mafia" that is led by her own father. All of her family have different powers. Her father is able to make any female totally fall in love with him, and bow to all of his orders. Her brother can fly, her other brother produces smell, and her mother is able to mind transport (is that what it's called?). Anyways, each person have their own unique powers, but some may be awesome while other might be totally useless. When Fiona is asked to go on a mission to murder someone, that's when Fiona wants to escape. Fiona and her mother start their escape.
It was cool to see that her mother and Fiona were taking a stand against the father. He was really frustrating me with how we was basically controlling all the women around him. Fiona's mother was very supportive, and I really liked that she was doing this for her daughter. Fiona, being home schooled all her life, never set foot in high school. Everything was new to her, and what was even worse, was that she was basically "transparent". It's a bit tricky here, because basically people can see what she's wearing, but the just can't see her skin of her hair. Imagine seeing floating clothes, sneakers, and glasses. I guess that was a reason why I also wasn't able to connect very well to Fiona. I found it a bit hard to be able to put a face to her, when she was never described. Also, in school, everyone knows that there are those who have powers, but they are usually just ignored. When Fiona starts, she meets two students who welcome her with open arms. 
I really liked how throughout the book, the mission was for the girls to not get found out by Fiona's father, and also for Fiona to adjust to a normal life. Fiona's younger brother was so awesome, and I totally loved him as a character! The romance in this book was very unexpected, which always makes a story much more interesting! It was shocking for Transparent to be a stand-alone, as most paranormals are trilogies. The ending was really great, and I ended the book with a smile. Overall, Transparent was a very good book with good characters and a great storyline. I really liked Natalie's writing style as well! Will be looking out for future books by her!

May 28, 2013

Review: IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker


Title: IMPOSTOR (Variants, #1)
Author: Susanne Winnacker
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: May 28, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult (fantasy)
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 288
Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.
I have always been eyeing the cover of Impostor, because seriously, isn't that cover just so creative? I love it! When I first read the synopsis, it sounded vaguely familiar. I still wanted to give it a try because I guess it just sounded awesome! Tessa, the main protagonist, is a variant. All Variants work at the FEA (Forces with Extraordinary Abilities), which is a secret part of the FBI. Variants are those people who are gifted with certain powers. Some have the ability to disappear, to control objects, to shape shift, etc. I love that each and every other person had a different Variant, and it was definitely exciting to find out who had what. Tessa has the ability to absorb the DNA of a certain person she touches, then she can transform, or shape shift, into that person. 
Tessa is a very interesting character. We get to see her at her points of weakness, and her high points. I was really able to relate to her. Despite our different circumstances, (I'm obviously not a Variant) I was still able to connect to her very well. When a serial killer strikes the city of Livingston, Tessa gets her first real mission. She was to impersonate Madison, a teenage girl who was one of the targets. Madison was in a comma, and was about to die soon. The plan was to pretend that Madison miraculously survived, but it would actually be Tessa. How AWESOME is that? Then, Tessa had to live in Madison's world and try to figure out who the serial killer was. Did I ever mention Alec? Well, let's just say that we have a very interesting romance story in this book.
Overall, Impostor was the book I was looking for! It had a bit of everything I look for in books! Great characters, great storyline, mystery, and a bit of romance. I am definitely excited for the second book of the Variants series to come out! Susanne Winnacker really did a fantastic job in this one! I would really recommend this to all young adult readers who are fans of paranormal and mystery! 

May 27, 2013

Blog Tour: The Trickster's Totem by H.B.Bolton


Hey everyone! Welcome to our blog tour for The Trickster's Totem, which is the sequel to The Serpent's Ring! You can check Danna's review HERE. We are excited to be hosting another blog tour with CBB book promotions, and we hope you enjoy the review!


Title: The Trickster's Totem (Relics of Mysticus, #2)
Author: H.B.Bolton 
Publisher: Createspace 
Publication date: April 15th, 2013
Genre(s): Middle Grade (Sci-Fi)
Source: Blog Tour
Format: ARC
Pages: 211
Life has returned to normal for fourteen-year-old Evan and his older sister, Claire. That is until Dunkle, a clever but stinky little imp, pays an unexpected visit to their school. He has come to take the siblings back to Sagaas, the mythical realm of the gods. Once again, a Relic from the ancient Mysticus Orb has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Evan and Claire, with their unique mystical abilities, can help find it.

Through the power of the Trickster’s Totem, a coyote trickster has escaped. His laughter echoes throughout the realm, as he spreads mischief and mayhem. He burns an entire crop of popcorn, carves his grinning image into sacred artifacts, and things really get interesting when he shape-shifts into Evan’s friends.
Claire and Evan must capture the Trickster, retrieve the Totem, and be careful not to become sidetracked by robotic Steampunk animals, “sweet” pixie-like Pains, and a problematic mermaid … all while dodging Mothman-like aces. Most surprising, Evan discovers the true reason dragons exist in the Native American Spirit World.
 
Claire and Evan have returned the Serpents ring to its rightful owner and are now back to their normal lives. But in the middle of school, Dunkle, a small imp, appears in Evan's school, and has bad news. The Trickster's Totem has fallen into the wrong hands, releasing another monster. Mica, the Coyote Trickster, a mischievous creature from the Native American Spirt World. The Trickster sets fire to a field of corn, making popcorn. He carves his face into totems and other artifacts. Evan and Claire now must travel to Sagaas, find the Trickster's Totem and capture Mica,  all while encountering annoying Pains (or fairies), Bigfoot-like C'iatqos, a trouble-causing mermaid, and creepy moth-men called Aces, and most surprisingly, dragons!
The Trickster's Totem is a sequel to The Serpents Ring, so I recommend you read that first. I didn't feel connected to Evan, due to the fact that he feels like he can leave the group at any time, and I wasn't to connected to Claire, because she is slightly boy crazy, and I couldn't flirt even if my life depended on it. You could tell this book is fantasy by looking at the gorgeous cover, and I love fantasy books.
Nothing in this book was annoying, though I'm glad Evan didn't always stay with the group, because it did add some interesting details to the book. The flow was good. Not to fast or too slow. I would love to read other books by H.B Bolton, and this book is telling me their is a third book, so I'm excited to read. The Trickster's Totem is a book I would recommend to kids ages 9-13, and would be a great book to read aloud. 
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A magical part of H.B. Bolton’s childhood was being swept into worlds of enchanting characters, fantastical creatures and extraordinary powers—simply by picking up a book. As a mother and a teacher, she was compelled to create imaginary worlds of her own in order to share them, not just with her children, but with all children. H.B. Bolton lives in Florida with her supportive husband and two highly spirited children. Shh, can you keep a secret? Not only does she write books for the young-at-heart, adventurous sort who yearn to dive into a good young-adult fantasy story, she also writes spellbinding, heart pounding women's fiction. These particular books are written under the name Barbara Brooke, but that's another story, altogether.